


Unova Travels

by KatherosLibra



Category: Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Episodic style story if that makes sense, M/M, Mostly it's Black getting more and more irritated by people, Slightly AU after Nacrene City, The Hero of Truth has no time for this crap, There is a plot but it's not right up in the forefront
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-12
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-07-14 14:03:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7174793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatherosLibra/pseuds/KatherosLibra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Black turned sixteen, he was sent off on a journey around Unova on behest of Professor Juniper. He expected to just catch some Pokemon, learn more about becoming a Pokemon doctor, and to maybe battle the gym leaders. Instead he got stuck dealing with a grass-haired and oddly sheltered older guy and some crazed cultists dressed like knights.</p>
<p>Just his luck.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Celandine

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! As I've recently been replaying Pokemon Black version, I decided to write a fanfic based on my own jokes throughout it. It's slightly AU in that Black is going to be dragging N along with him at some point but that's a surprise. 
> 
> As for this being "episodic"... Well, each chapter can stand on it's own, mostly. There's only the faintest hint of plot throughout this as I'm mostly winging it.

    Summers in Nuvema Town were usually an unholy mixture of humid and windy, especially during the day.  Even the insides of buildings were muggy thanks to the usual habit most natives had of opening windows to draw in some cross-breezes from the ocean.  Today, was especially hot, despite it being close to Autumn.  Black groaned from his place on his, blessedly cool, floor and pressed his face against the wooden boards even harder.  The brunet had even abandoned his nearly iconic baseball cap to keep any unnecessary heat off of his head.  On his desk, the carefully wrapped package from Professor Juniper taunted him.  A baleful glare was sent from the corner of one brown eye towards the box with it's cruelly taunting contents.  Black had been told, in no uncertain terms, that he was to wait for Cheren and Bianca before he could open his birthday present.  Which was just plain mean, in Black's professional opinion.  Everyone knew what a present from the professor meant.  And Cheren and Bianca were both so slow.

    Groaning again, the now sixteen year old pushed himself up so that he was sitting mostly properly.  As soon as the package had been delivered, he had thrown together all the supplies he would need for a trip, including his favorite blue coat.  After all, you could never be sure on the weather here in Unova.  Continuing to glare at the package had apparently made him unaware of his surroundings, however, and Black couldn't help jumping when he felt an icy hand touch the back of his neck.  The sound that left his mouth was strangely reminiscent of a startled Lillipup, much to his embarrassment, and he whipped around to snarl at the boy who was currently doubled over in laughter.  Cheren.  Of course it was Cheren.  No one else could walk so creepily silently up a set of creaky stairs.  Easing his rage back-to be handled at a later date that wasn't his birthday-was really the best course of action.  As scrawny as Cheren seemed, he was a dirty cheater in a fight.  Black really didn't want the jokes that came with a black eye for at least the next few weeks.  

    Finally Cheren spoke, wiping away a tear of mirth as he did.  "What kind of noise was  _that_ , Black? There's no way I could have really scared you that badly when you claim to be so tough," the glasses-wearing teen teased with a hint of a smirk.  And good thing it was just a hint or else Black would have tackled him to the ground and done his best to wipe it off Cheren's face, consequences be damned.  Choosing to not bother humoring his friend, the birthday boy shrugged and stood up.  While it was still unbearably hot, even more so now that his heart was pounding, Black refused to be shorter than he naturally was when it came to his childhood friend.  Standing also made something obvious.  There was a distinct lack of a certain blonde girl here.  Frowning now, Black turned to meet Cheren's eyes and motioned silently to the empty space next to him.  

  "...Bianca?" 

    The question had the taller boy sighing and shrugging his shoulders helplessly.  "You know how she is, Black. She has no sense of time at all. Let's just wait a few more minutes for her."  Cheren, ever the voice of reason, could honestly be a bit annoying, Black decided.  

    Not that he hadn't already known that.  Cheren was something Black had long ago described as a "nerd with an ego like a quarterback".  But that was something he would keep silent.  Saying something like that out loud in Cheren's range of hearing could end in Black having to explain to his mother why his clothes smelled like the ocean.  In other words, not fun.  

    His train of thought and all of it's terrible metaphors was soon derailed, thankfully, by the arrival of Bianca and her big green hat.  Black had never understood why she chose to wear that hat, but he smiled at her all the same.  

     Even if he didn't get her choices in fashion, that didn't matter because now it was time to finally open that damned box!

* * *

    Black honestly should have known better than to agree to Bianca's suggestion to have a Pokemon battle in his room.  His Snivy, newly christened as Amaryllis, had handily defeated both Cheren's Tepig and Bianca's Oshawott, proving to Black that he was right to have partnered with the grass type.  Said grass type was currently curled around his shoulders, watching some leaves blow over Route One.  His mother, who the brunet loved for her patience, had proven once again that she was a saint even when it came to her son and his odd friends and had let him off the hook for the destroyed room.  Though Black had the faintest idea that it was perhaps because she was glad to see him leaving the house.  

    His mother was...an odd woman, to be sure.  Saintlike but with enough physical strength to wrestle a Machoke into submission.  He'd seen it happen.  According to his dad, that was why he married her.  Black was personally just thankful she only suggested that he take the sports and martial arts lessons he had, instead of forcing him to learn them.  

    Shaking his thoughts back, the newly minted Pokemon trainer turned to smile at Amaryllis, causing the Snivy to perk up. 

   "Ready to start our adventure around Unova?" Black asked softly.  Amaryllis hissed cheerfully in response, flicking her tail against the back of his head in what Black assumed was an encouraging way.  With a laugh, the Nuvema native started walking towards his first destination.  Accumula Town.

 


	2. Blue Periwinkle

    Upon setting foot in Accumula Town, Black was struck by how different things felt journeying as a trainer rather than just making a quick trip to the larger stores in this town with his mother.  The sun was just beginning to set and the brunet wiped a bead of sweat from his brow as he considered his options.  Ordinarily he would have immediately chosen to continue on to Striaton City but with the end of summer approaching, Black wasn't going to trust the weather.  Everyone knew that in this part of Unova, things could turn sour quickly.  Almost as quickly as the weather could supposedly turn around Mistralton City.  No, the best choice was to stay at the Pokemon Center tonight, clearly.  

    With that decision made, Black quickly started making his way towards the red-roofed building.  It practically  _gleamed_ in the early evening light thanks to the many windows.  But a Pokemon Center also meant the blessed sanctity of air conditioning and Black was nowhere near stubborn enough, no matter what Cheren said, to ignore that siren song.  Humming a little jingle to himself, earning him a smack on the head from Amaryllis' tail, the sixteen year old hurried forward.  

    Only to nearly walk right into Cheren, who was frowning at...something in the distance.  Black wasn't all that concerned.  It was Cheren, he could be glaring at someone just because they had the same haircut as him.  Still, he couldn't ignore the fact that his best friend was currently standing between him and the sweet allure of cold air so Black cleared his throat. 

   Loudly.  

    Cheren jerked slightly, as if pulled from his thoughts, and turned to Black with that same considering frown.  Internally groaning, Black  _knew_ that look all too well, the slightly shorter boy sighed and shrugged a bit.  This was probably something he had no choice in whatsoever so the brunet didn't see the point in even trying to speak.  And his point was proven when Cheren all but dragged him towards a steadily growing crowd near a pavilion.  

  "Look, Black. That's those Team Plasma guys from the newspapers," Cheren whispered, narrowing his eyes further at the oddly dressed people on the stage.  Black found himself frowning slightly as well, gently placing his hand on Amaryllis' tail.  In response, the Snivy grumbled but pressed against her trainer's neck tighter than before as if she could sense his discomfort.  Team Plasma was a strange group of people who had recently made news with a rally against Pokemon trainers in Icirrus City.  The bitter irony of it was just that they clearly had their own Pokemon with them.  

  "Those guys... How dare they demand that people stop sharing their lives with Pokemon. They're just  _hypocrites_." 

    Almost as if he could sense the disdain Black had for him, the man speaking cast his gaze at the two Nuvema Town trainers.  Black felt Cheren stiffen beside him at the same time as Amaryllis hissed lowly.  It was clear to the brunet that Team Plasma and that man were nothing but trouble if they elected that kind of response from a normally quite calm grass type.  

* * *

    Finally the rally ended and the crowd of people dispersed to return to their every day lives once again.  Black still felt a bit riled up with disgust at sheer hypocrisy Plasma dared to spout from their mouths so he was simply nodding in agreement to whatever Cheren was saying while not truly paying attention.  That changed as soon as an unknown voice cut in the, mostly one-sided, conversation.

  "Your Snivy... Just now it was saying..."

    Black and Cheren both jerked to attention and turned to face the newcomer with entirely different reactions.  Black felt a mild sense of curiosity with the strange, clearly older, boy before him.  Dressed in white and grey with long, bushy green hair, this stranger was definitely someone he could spot in a crowd.  So how had he managed to be caught off guard by him?  Cheren, however, seemed to immediately dislike the odd guy, if his tone of voice was anything to go by.  Black wasn't paying attention to whatever his friend was saying, though, too caught up in examining the green-haired boy to bother.  At least until he heard introductions being given. 

  "Cheren... I can speak on my own," he muttered, turning away from the newly named N-what kind of name was that anyway?-to glare at Cheren, who had the nerve to shrug at him.  

    Another quick conversation, and he meant that literally as N didn't seem capable of slowing his speech, later and he found himself dragged into a Pokemon battle.  N was a strong opponent with his Purrloin, but Amaryllis was stronger than the dark-type and won handily.  Black frowned as N walked away, resolving to figure out the mystery behind the older boy. 

    And to give him a better name than  _N_.  Seriously.  Who would name a child  _N_.

 


	3. Sycamore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick peek into N's head before we continue on with Black and his internal bitchiness.

    For all of his life, N had been taught several very important facts.  Pokemon were special creatures who would love humans unconditionally if treated correctly.  Some humans were Pokemon Trainers and they captured Pokemon to battle for them.  And that some of those Trainers would hurt the very Pokemon they were supposed to take care of.  This had caused him to grow with a disdain of Pokemon battles as it caused unnecessary suffering for the Pokemon involved.  Any sport where Pokemon were forced to hurt each other couldn't be acceptable.  After all, that went against Team Plasma's, and his, ideals.  The sages of Plasma as well as Ghetsis had always supported this train of thought, encouraging his ideals.

    Ideals were what would allow him to become a proper king.  And becoming the king that Team Plasma needed was important.  N knew this to be facts.  Truths, even.  It was why he studied the legend of the dragons, Zekrom and Reshiram.  The two were said to have once been one but had split many ages ago to support different heroes.  A hero of truth, who would look beyond their ideals and desires to show the truth of the world.  And a hero of ideals, who sought a perfect world.  Ghetsis told N often that in order to truly help the Pokemon of Unova, and perhaps even the world, he would have to seek one of the two dragons.  It was a perfect plan, as expected of the sages of Team Plasma.  N would travel Unova in search of the dragons and maybe even the other hero.  Wouldn't it be grand to have both heroes supporting one plan?  A plan to free all Pokemon from abusive Trainers!  It sounded perfect in every way, no matter how N looked at it.  And if the other hero refused to support him?  Why, then he'd just have to defeat them and thus people would recognize him as the true hero Unova needed.  

    Though N wasn't sure where to even begin with this search.  Reshiram and Zekrom hadn't been seen in over a hundred years-not since the last heroes recognized by them had been alive.  And that dated back to a little after the great war in Kalos, according to historical texts.  That left quite a bit of ground to cover, especially if he followed the path set by Ghetsis and began his journey in Accumula Town.  

    Why there?  To make sure he could see how even people living in a relatively tiny urban area could harm Pokemon around them, of course.  

    So it was agreed that N would begin his journey to find one of the legendary dragons of Unova at the end of summer, in a small town in eastern Unova.  The only positive he could see of this was learning what the famous Professor Juniper of Nuvema Town was up to from the local Pokemon.  They would be able to tell him for certain if she was a threat to his ideals.

* * *

 

    The months passed quickly and N, now freshly eighteen, found himself in Accumula Town with a rather chatty Purrloin on his shoulder.  She had offered to show him around the town since he was new and who was he to turn down an offer from a Pokemon.  It was odd to him how muggy the air was for a location so close to the mountains and the ocean but the Purrloin was quick to assure him that the weather in this part of the country was generally mild.  

  "No snow in winter, N! Just imagine what snow would do to my poor fur," she bemoaned while pointing him towards the town plaza.  A demonstration by Ghetsis was starting soon and people were already gathering curiously at the sight of the Plasma Knights.  N nodded absently, standing just close enough to the stage to hear clearly but not close enough to be properly spotted.  Just as Ghetsis began his speech, two more people showed up.  Both young men but entirely different in terms of appearance and body language, N mused.  One had straight dark hair and glasses and seemed to be constantly scoffing at the speech.  The other, however, had wild brown hair tucked under a black and red cap with a Snivy draped over his shoulders.  And the Snivy seemed to have her own words for Ghetsis' claims.  Words that happened to catch N's attention more than anything else.

  "Oh, shut up, you old geezer! Me and Black are going to stick together no matter what, even if he's a newbie. This human won't hurt a Pokemon," the Snivy hissed furiously at Ghetsis while pressing closer to the boy's, Black's, neck.  In response to the contact, the quiet and seemingly listless Trainer seemed to relax if the drop in his shoulders and the way he lowered his hand from the Snivy's tail had anything to do with it.  

    It made N frown.  If this one Trainer, so new at being a Trainer at that, had such strong conviction from a Pokemon already then did that mean he could possibly be mistaken?  He had to see for himself.  To make sure there was no real worry when it came to dealing with this boy.

    Decision made, he went up to the pair once the demonstration had ended and all involved had scattered.  The hostility from the glasses-wearing boy, who soon introduced himself as Cheren, was surprising even though it probably shouldn't have been.  Cheren seemed the sort to snap at anyone who so much as said the wrong thing on accident.  In contrast, Black seemed to be barely interested in the conversation.  However his eyes seemed to blaze with a strange inner fire when N asked for a battle.  

    And what a battle it was.  Black and the Snivy, Amaryllis as he called her, made a stunning team.  Commands were given in rapid fire and followed through as soon as the words left his lips.  And in contrast to Black's seemingly submissive posture, the Trainer's voice was strong and clear.  While also being much deeper than he had expected, surprisingly.  It wasn't a surprise, however, that Purrloin just couldn't keep up and a strong hit knocked the dark-type over.  

    It was incredible.  Even after walking away from the battle to tend to Purrloin's injuries (no matter how she insisted they were nothing) N found his heart pounding and his hands trembling.  Practice battles had never affected him in such a way, so why was this different?  Was it how Black didn't hold back?  Or perhaps it was Black himself and not his way of battling.  The younger teen had seemed almost listless until the battle had begun and afterwards he had been almost coldly honest.  And that had been oddly refreshing.

_"Pokemon battling is about connecting with your Pokemon. Even a newbie like me knows that. If you can't stifle any hesitation you have when it comes to a battle, Purrloin and others will be confused, N."_

    Black's words were still ringing in his ears.  N had never considered that his dislike of Pokemon battles could actually cause more pain for his friends than anything else.  It was something he would have to look into.  

    As well as looking into this strange Trainer named Black.


	4. Sainfoin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy that people seem to be enjoying this story! I'm having fun writing it but I want to make sure people have fun reading it as well. 
> 
> So now back to your regularly scheduled sassy little shit, Black.

    The forested road between Accumula Town and Striation City was rich with wild Pokemon.  Primarily there were Lillipup and Patrat but every so often a Purrloin and an Audino could be found in the tall grass and shrubs.  Black blew his bangs from his forehead and looked up from his notebook to where Amaryllis was playing with the Lillipup he had caught and named Sarge.  The two of them had swiftly become friends not long after the normal type's capture so the brunet had decided to allow the two Pokemon to play while he wrote his own notes on the route they were on.  Even if he had a Pokedex from Professor Juniper, Black was determined to make his own guide.  So far Amaryllis had been helping him, in her own way, to know which of the wild plants were safe to touch or eat.  Just in case he ever ran out of store-bought food and needed something.  

    At least, that was what he told himself.  There just wasn't much to do on this relatively pleasant path but battle other beginner Trainers and continue on to the first gym city.  But Black had felt oddly anxious about finishing the path towards Striaton.  Perhaps it had been the battle with that weird green-haired guy with the terrible name.  N, was it?  Something about the older boy had caused Black's mind to fixate on him.  And it wasn't just out of his desire to give N a far better nickname than the horrible name his parents had given him. 

  "Geez... This is stupid," Black sighed, flopping onto the grass.  There was no answer for why he felt so odd today.  None whatsoever.  It was a bright, clear day with just a hint of Fall in the air.  Exactly the kind of day he'd have been excited for in Nuvema.  But here he was.  Acting like Bianca when she had a piano recital back when they were kids and postponing the final half a mile's walk to his first gym challenge.  Scrubbing at his face, Black scowled for a moment before shoving himself up.  "There's no reason to be worried. I have the two of you," he smiled at his Pokemon who had stopped their game to look at him, "at my side. I know we can handle that gym leader no problem, right?"  At his question the Snivy nodded enthusiastically, slapping her tail against the grass, while the Lillipup simply barked his agreement.  That was all Black needed to hear and he stood at last, shoving his notebook back into his bag.  "Well then, you two, let's hurry up and get there!"

    The cheers from his team encouraging him, Black bent down to scoop the two into his arms and started walking northwards once more.  For some reason he had absolute faith that Sarge and Amaryllis could triumph over the gym leader of Striaton.  And after that...  Well, in all honesty he didn't have a plan for that.  Maybe he'd head on to the gym in Nacrene and onwards.  Battling the gym leaders could give him more experience than simply battling other Trainers and wild Pokemon, right?  Hopefully.  Becoming the Pokemon Champion of Unova wasn't his goal in any reality, however.  That was strictly Cheren's dream.  It would drive Black insane to know that he was essentially the most powerful trainer in the whole region. 

    How did anyone handle that feeling?  The feeling of being the best in the entire region and knowing that you won't have any real challenges left.  That wasn't for Black.  He knew that to be a truth.  

    Shaking the thoughts from his head, the Nuvema native continued the walk to Striaton and his first major challenge.  

* * *

 

    Entering Striaton City had somehow caused Black to end up agreeing to find Dream Mist, whatever that was, for a weird woman named Fennel after getting his badge from the gym.  Who could have expected triplets for the gym leader?  Though they were incredibly weird, if he thought on it.  Almost as weird as that Fennel woman.  

    But now he found himself staring in steadily growing anger and disgust at a couple of members of Team Plasma kicking a poor little Munna.  Only Bianca's firm grip on his upper arm kept him from rushing at them and punching one, or even both, in their smug faces.  One of them, the guy, was already gloating over how "scared" the two teens were, causing Black to growl as angrily as Sarge.  Even if Bianca could physically hold him back, she couldn't stop him from speaking, right?  Right.  And so he spoke. 

  "Must be so easy kicking a poor little Pokemon. Proves that you Plasma guys are all liars!" Black couldn't stop himself from yelling at the two adults who both stilled and slowly looked at him directly.  Something about their pale blue eyes unnerved him.  They just looked far too cold to belong to a living being.  

  "What? Did you dare to just insult Team Plasma?" the man, Black mentally labelled him as Paul, questioned while taking a step forward.  If he thought he was intimidating in his stupid cultist clothes, boy was he wrong.  

    Grinning darkly, Black gently pushed Bianca's hand off of his arm and held out both arms to his sides.  "Oh, I'm not just insulting. I'm telling the absolute one-hundred percent clear truth! If you think I'm lying, then try to beat me in a battle. If you lose, you run away to your cult leader with your tails between your legs!"

    And, predictably for anyone who wore stupid outfits like that, the two redheads took the bait.  Their Patrats weren't a match against Sarge and Amaryllis so it was honestly just pathetic.  

    Then things got...surreal.  A weird version of the guy from the podium in Accumula Town appeared and teleported around the Dreamyard for a bit while saying honestly  _weird_ things.  Which somehow caused Plasma Paul and Plasma Betty to run off in a panic.  A hilarious panic.  Paul got shoved into a wall by Betty in her rush to get through the door quickly.  The reveal that it was all the work of a Pokemon named Musharna made the whole situation even funnier and Black found himself chuckling through Fennel's explanation on the Dream Mist.  

    Clearly he would have to catch his own Munna alongside Bianca, just to see that happen again.

 


	5. Almond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First of all lemme apologize for the massive delay in getting out this chapter. This has been an exceptionally busy month for me and this has been a difficult chapter to write. Why? Well, it's the chapter when the plot gets rolling, hopefully.
> 
> Edit: Oops forgot to mention! If you want to know about the progress of a chapter or just to talk about things that might not come across too clearly in my writing you can find me at cobalt-hero on tumblr.

    For as long as Black could remember he had wanted to be a Pokemon doctor.  It was a dream he had never been able to properly explain, considering his interest in being a Trainer as well as his general discomfort in talking about himself.  And that exact dream was why he was kneeling in the mud before a tangle of briars, trying to coax out a clearly terrified and injured Blitzle.  Sarge had been the one to spot the electric zebra limping first but his alerted bark had startled it into this current situation.  And it had been more than an hour since the rain had started, frustrating Black to no end.  Theoretically he could take care of the most immediate trouble with the Blitzle's leg and then take it to a Pokemon Center if it needed more than cursory first aid.  However the Pokemon was refusing to move, staring at him like he would hurt the poor thing if it left the shelter of the thorns.  Anyone with knowledge in how Blitzle behaved could easily see that this was a Pokemon handling being abandoned by it's previous Trainer and Black hated that.  Abandoning a Pokemon always left them with mental scars, according to Professor Juniper.  They came to trust and rely on the human who captured them, or even bred them in some cases, so abandonment was a horrible breach of trust.  Like if a parent simply dropped their child out in the middle of nowhere and left.  

    Black had nothing but the deepest contempt for anyone who would so casually get rid of a Pokemon.  Especially since many cases of it, and most likely the reasoning behind this Blitzle's situation, were from a Trainer deciding that the Pokemon in question was simply "too weak" to be of use in battle.  So they would leave the Pokemon in a field or a forest or sometimes back alleys and tell them that they'd be right back.  However, recently there was a disturbing increase in Pokemon being abandoned by their Trainers.  An increase that corresponded far too much with Team Plasma.  

    No, it was best to not think of that right now considering he did not want to frighten the Pokemon before him any more.  Black sighed, once again slowly extending his right hand towards the briars only to jerk it away when the Blitzle sparked threateningly.  He wasn't afraid of being electrocuted, really.  It'd hurt but Pokemon like Blitzle didn't have the strength to actually cause permanent damage with an attack.  What he was afraid of was causing the small Pokemon more harm by making it burrow further into the thorns.  It was a miracle that the plants hadn't already harmed it, but Black figured he could chalk that up to the Blitzle having better reflexes than he did when it came to avoiding injury.  Already his hand was covered in scratches and small cuts from repeatedly extending his hand into the thorns to try to earn the electric zebra's trust.  Perhaps it was a futile effort and he should call a professional to come help, but that didn't sit right in him.  The idea of being able to help, of knowing he could help, and doing nothing was  _wrong_. 

    At this rate, the sun would set before he could even get the Blitzle to let him  _look_ at it's clearly injured foreleg, though.  And that would mean having to maneuver a muddy road in the dark with an injured Pokemon.  

  "Please, Blitzle, let me help you. I won't try to do anything but check out your leg," Black nearly begged, crouching down further to make eye-contact with the electric-type.  He was cold from the autumn rain and the mud soaking through his clothes but he stubbornly suppressed his shivers, refusing to let his own discomfort show in the face of an injured Pokemon.  Closing his eyes with a heavy sigh, the brunet shook his head.  This was going to be a long night, if the cold look in the Blitzle's eyes was anything to go by.  Suddenly he was thankful that his Pokemon had retreated to their Pokeballs once they had noticed how afraid the wild Pokemon was.  Shifting so he was sitting in a more comfortable position-at least for his calves, the mud soaking through more of his jeans was far from comfortable- Black opened his eyes and smiled faintly.  "I won't give up, you know. That leg looks like it's bothering you, and I really want to help you feel more comfortable, Blitzle," he said softly, watching how the Pokemon stared at him with surprise now.  

    That was what he loved about Pokemon.  How they could understand so easily what people just didn't get.  

* * *

 

    It was well after midnight when the Blitzle had finally left the briars, slowly limping towards the exhausted human before it.  And it was nearly dawn when Black had managed to convince it to allow his newly evolved Servine to hold his flashlight so he could check out the injured leg.  Black scowled to himself as he examined the injury.  Thankfully he could tell it wasn't a break, those took forever for even the best doctors to heal, but there was something far worse than a deep cut with this leg.  Sighing heavily through his nose, the brunet leaned back to meet the Blitzle's eyes and noticed the exhaustion and pain in them with a pang in his heart.  This was something that a Pokemon Center needed to check out, the most he could do was wrap a bandage around the cut to stem the sluggish flow of blood.  

  "Well, Blitzle, could I ask you to let me take you to the nearest Pokemon Center?" he questioned gently, holding up his hands immediately when it, no  _he_ , jerked back in sudden fear.  "I'm only asking because I'm worried that your leg may be worse than it seems. That's all," Black quickly explained, making sure to lock eyes with the electric zebra so it could see his honesty.  After a long moment that felt like it stretched for hours, the Blitzle finally nodded and allowed Black to catch it just for this.  

    Standing slowly, Black shivered from the still drizzling rain and his pounding head before hurrying back on the path to Nacrene City.  It was only about a quarter of a mile further but with the Blitzle's Pokeball gripped tightly in his left hand the walk felt far longer.  Dawn had broken in a misty grey by the time he reached the red-roofed building and explained the situation to a startled nurse.  Thankfully she had hurried the Blitzle towards the clinic in the back and Black slumped against a couch, exhausted.  He felt far too drained and disconnected to focus on anything going on around him, not even the nurse returning and asking if he wanted a room.  

    In the back of his mind he registered that he had tracked mud on the pristine floor and he felt hazily guilty for that but nothing more as he dozed off.  

    Some time later, Black wasn't entirely sure how much later just that it was some amount of time, a cool hand was shaking him awake.  A barely familiar voice spoke to him about getting somewhere better to sleep and the brunet responded with a sleepy hum as he was tugged off the couch and walked somewhere.  That voice came again once they stopped, gently telling him to get out of the soaked clothes we was still wearing.  With a grunt, Black fought his way free down to his boxers and t-shirt before flopping onto something soft and feeling something else being tugged over him.  Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered who the person who helped him to the bed, because it was clearly a bed, was before sighing and slipping back into unconsciousness. 

* * *

 

    If anyone asked N what he had been expecting when exploring Nacrene City in the early hours of the morning, so early that not even the Pidove were awake, he could have easily told them.  The humans who worked at the restaurant getting the place ready for customers, mailmen delivering letters and packages, and the gym leader and her husband opening the museum doors for a new day.  What he saw, however, was a soaked and muddy Black hurrying towards the Pokemon Center with a faint wobble in his step.  Something N would never have caught if he hadn't been observing the brunet curiously.  Shaking his head, the green-haired man tried to put the memory from his mind but something about it continued to bother him.  

    Finally when it was obvious at last to him that he could not get the image of Black hurrying like he had an important mission out of his thoughts, N turned and walked towards the red-roofed building himself.  The cool rain pittered on his umbrella as he made his way there and he idly wondered if Black had an umbrella of his own or if he had never considered purchasing one.  Perhaps he had lost it?  If so, it'd explain why he looked rather like a Lillipup that had decided to play in the mud.  And wasn't that a fascinating mental image.  Almost as fascinating as the sight before his eyes as he shook the rain from his umbrella in the entryway of the Pokemon Center.  The very brunet Trainer his mind had been stuck on was collapsed on one of the couches, covered in mud and looking uncomfortable in his sleep.  

  "Excuse me?" The sudden voice had N jerking a little in surprise before casting his gaze on the nervous looking nurse.  She seemed to relax slightly when his eyes met hers and she motioned towards the sleeping boy on the couch as she spoke again.  "Could you possibly take him to a room?  I understand that he's concerned over his Pokemon but..." she shrugged helplessly and N sighed.  

    He didn't like the sound of Black being worried for one of his Pokemon--was that why he was like this?-- as that struck him that it was possible this Trainer had managed to get one of the Pokemon he seemed to adore injured but he had no true way of knowing.  Still, he nodded and walked towards Black, curiously looking at the other boy's face closely for the first time as he managed to get him off the couch.  The brunet had rather thick and long eyelashes as well as a heavy splash of freckles over his cheekbones and nose.  Dark enough freckles for them to be clearly visible through the deep tan the younger boy had.  Later N would wonder why those things had stood out so much to him.  But for now he was busy trying to help a clearly barely awake teenager undress and go to bed.  It was almost enough to make him laugh though thankfully N simply smiled.  Laughter was probably not the correct way to respond to someone being so tired that they didn't even question being given orders to undress.  

  "You're an unusual one, Black... Perhaps that's why you captured my attention..." N mused once Black had fallen back asleep under the blankets of the Pokemon Center bed.  Shaking his head, the green-haired man stood and made his way out of the room to go fetch himself some breakfast and continue his exploration of the city.  Perhaps in a few hours he would return to see if the younger teen was awake to get his answers on why he was soaked and muddy.  


End file.
